COMOROS

Radio Dzialandzé Mutsamudu
CENSORED
Interior and Information Minister Djanffar Salim ordered the suspension of all news broadcasts on Radio Dzialandzé Mutsamudu (RDM), a popular, privately owned station based in Mutsamudu, capital of the semi-autonomous island of Anjouan.

According to local sources, the order stemmed from a recent RDM interview with a doctor who defended a strike by the island's medical personnel. Prior to the interview, Anjouan's Health Minister had criticized the strike in comments aired on Anjouan's official broadcaster, Radio Télévision Anjouan.

The suspension was lifted on January 29, and RDM began broadcasting news again immediately, according to sources at the station. RDM, a partner with Radio France Internationale, is a rare independent source of local and international news in Anjouan.